MESOPOTAMIA NEWS LATEST UPDATE : Israel ‘probably’ behind strikes against Iranian proxies in Homs – SOHR

By Rudaw 1 hour ago – 30 April 2018 – ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — After anti-regime fighters clashed with loyalists in Homs, Syria, one of the last major opposition pockets between Damascus and Aleppo, Israeli missile strikes “probably” killed 26 Assad loyalists — mostly Iranians.  

The Syrian Observatory on Human reported on Monday morning that 26 pro-regime fighters, most of whom were Iranians, were killed overnight in missile strikes.

The UK-based conflict monitor added that Israel was “probably” responsible for the strikes against the Syrian Arab Army’s 47th Brigade.Yisrael Katz, Israel’s intelligence minister, said that he was “not aware” of the latest strikes during an army radio broadcast.Israel has previously conducted airstrikes in Homs. It maintains Iranian proxies are reinforcing Assad and worry of a Shiite crescent stretching from Tehran to the Golan.”Enemy missiles” targeted the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) late Sunday, according to Syria’s SANA news agency.The agency put the civilian death toll at one killed and 10 wounded as a result of the “terrorist organizations.”

The SAA fired rockets at rebel “individuals and fortifications” which SANA reported were using “human shields.”The Observatory Rights reported that the clashes were in al-Lataminah town in the northern Homs province countryside. The rights monitor added that the shelling was conducted by “regime forces,” but provided no details on human casualties.Video of Russian T-90 tanks in the area were shared across social media.Russia and Iran have been the regime’s primary backers.Ankara supports fighters in opposition to Baath Party leader Bashar al-Assad. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported the regime launched 70 airstrikes in the villages of al-Makramiyyah, Deir Ful and Talaf, al-Zafarana — where a hospital was destroyed.

Anadolu put the civilian death toll at two or more. The area is roughly 160 kilometers north of Damascus between Homs and Hama cities.Last week, the regime took control of the last major opposition-held area near the capital, Eastern Ghouta.

Last updated at 9:38 a.m. www.mesop.de